R.W. Owen - Montreal Ropery
Description
Issued circa 1824, before Owen sold his company to Canada Cordage Co. and J.A. Converse. Approximately 15 of these tokens survived, most of them in museums collections.
Here's the list of the only 14 known pieces listed by ainsivalavie (in french).
As the Government of Great Britain neglected altogether the supply of a suitable currency for her North American colonies, the colonists were compelled to accept as change anything in the shape of a coin coming within their territory. At one time it would consist of the dilapidated old coinage of France; next, of worn Spanish silver coins; and at another time of an unbounded supply of shinplasters. These each in their turn, were driven out of circulation by floods of copper tokens imported from Birmingham. Although most of these have no special reference to Canada, several bear the names of some of our early Canadian men of business, and are therefore highly interesting to us.
Of these on account of its great rarity the Owen Ropery Token has always been esteemed by Canadian collectors one of the gems of their collections. It is supposed to have been struck in Birmingham, about the year 1824, and although a number were probably put into circulation at that time, only one or two have been found at the present day. While vast quantities of copper coins were from time to time imported, and traders unable almost, to find room to stow away their copper change such coins seemed to disappear, no one knew whither, there would be a dearth of change until afresh supply was imported by enterprising traders. We may thus account for the scarcity of some of our earliest tokens. Only five specimens are known, three in collections in Montreal, one in Clarence, Ont., and another, in England. Two of these, in a worn condition, were picked up in circulation in Montreal, another was sold in New York in 1860 with the Robertson collection.
This token is similar to many of those appearing about that time. A ship seems to have been a favorite design with the manufacturers of those tokens. Many have a similar ship without legend, it may therefore be inferred that the obverse die of the Owen's token was previously used in striking one of the varieties of the Ships Colonies & Commerce tokens. The circle of twisted ropes on the reverse is appropriate to the business of the issuer of the token.
- R.W. McLachlan, Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal, July 1882
Owen's ropery was established about the year 1824 or a little earlier. It was a small affair situated in Gain street in the eastern part of the city, and consisted of an open shed by the side of a fence, under which was a wheel turned by hand. The quantity of hemp used was less than four tons per annum, and a small supply of lines rather than ropes, the product. In 1825, Mr. J. A. Converse, whose father was an extensive iron founder in Troy NY came here and established a much larger ropery, and Owen finding that his small hand power concern could not compete with it, sold out to Converse. The purchase was not an extensive one, consisting mainly of two tons of hemp and the wheel.
Owen afterward removed to Kingston, when he induced the Government to establish a ropery in connection with the Penitentiary, hut this venture also proving unsuccessful, the Government advertised for another manager, and Mr. Converse sent up his foreman Coyle to run it, but as the project did not pay, it was abandoned.
R.W. Owen - Montreal Ropery values and prices
The value of a canadian token depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, rarity, finish and more.
- Circulated
- Uncirculated
| Varieties | AG-3 | G-4 | VG-8 | F-12 | VF-20 | EF-40 | AU-50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | $14,900 | $19,800 | $24,800 | $31,500 | $36,000 |
| Varieties | MS-60 | MS-62 | MS-63 | MS-64 | MS-65 | MS-66 | MS-67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
View the average prices of certified R.W. Owen - Montreal Ropery sold at auctions »
Specifications
- Denomination: Halfpenny
- Composition: Copper
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Weight: 7.89 grams
- Diameter: 27.8 mm
- Edge: Engrailed
- Breton #: 564
- Charlton #: LC18
- McLachlan #: 50
- Sandham #: 94
- Haxby-Willey #: 104
- Batty #: 157
- Raymond #: 53
- Willey #: 572
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| Lower Canada, Im Tiffin half penny 1820; Brass LC-48C2, ICCS MS60 | $153.00 | 21 j 10 h left |
Last update : Monday, October 23, 2023
